IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE MOBILITIES OF CENTRAL ASIAN MIGRANTS

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictive measures introduced in Russia and Central Asian countries have seriously disrupted the mobility patterns of migrant workers from Central Asia. The purpose of this study is to describe the new patterns of mobility that emerged both domestically and internationally during the COVID-19 pandemic, to study the policy measures taken by the governments of Russia and Central Asian states and their consequences for the mobility of migrants from Central Asia. To identify salient pandemic-related events impacting mobility and changing patterns of mobility of Central Asian migrants, the study heavily relied on a combination of pandemic-related official documents and national and regional news media sources.